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Tag: Creativity

“They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.”
– Edgar Allan Poe

“Imagination is the spark that ignites the fire of creativity.”
– Richard Laurence Peterson

Imagination is an intriguing idea/subject that has resounding implications which rarely gets to see the light of day.

In our youth, imagination was the journey we all engaged in every day. In those days there was no mountain to high, no catacomb too dark, no obstacle to impervious to be overcome because we knew at that time that nothing could stop us.

But then we ‘grew up’.

We were told that imagination, like a paper airplane, was a child’s play thing. It’s something “only kids” employ. Adults? They don’t need imagination; ‘let’s talk about reality please,’ or, ‘let’s be real’ soon follows. Imagination is in the past; it’s not needed now.

Such is the brainwashing that we were lathered on with, and it’s worked in spades. This type of mind control puts the subject of imagination beyond the scope of everyday chatter.

Regarding this type of mind control, Jon Rappoport of NoMoreFakeNews.com once said this:

“What is as yet uncreated in the imagination of The Individual is the most potent force in this or any other universe. And to make things even clearer, the failure to understand that fact constitutes the most potent form of mind control in existence.”[1] [Bold Emphasis Added]

Curiously, however, every single thing created was due to imagination being employed in some way shape or form.

The stifling of imagination has dampened individual consciousness and creativity and it’s quite regrettable. One glaring example of this can be seen in the fact that although everyone living today has more information than ever before, many still need help with things that others knew how to do decades, or centuries ago or more.

People can’t imagine solutions like others could in the past because they’re living within a box, instead of living without the box. Imagination is shackled through and through.

Having droves of more knowledge than any civilizations past, in conjunction with the employment endless imagination and creativity, we should be the most self sufficient generation of them all. And yet, the opposite is the case. The more technology grows and evolves, the less and less we know how to do [imagine] and thus, the less imaginative we become.

Hearkening back to our youth, imagination played a vital role in how we viewed reality. Obstacles? Those didn’t exist. Obstacles were merely opportunities for growth. Obstacles, like storms, help you realized what you’re made of, and once those circumstances have been conquered, individuals feel like they can take on the world.

That is because there are no limits to imagination. Implication: there are no limits to the amount of solutions you could envision.

A great aspect of imagination is its malleability, even though imagination is in fact shapeless.

Like water, imagination molds into whatever shape it sees fit and even transmutes itself into something more, something greater, but only when unleashed.

Imagination is non linear. It may venture in any direction it sees fit, and goes even beyond the beyond. There is no path imagination won’t take, there’s no venture it won’t embark upon.

Imagination is the road that never ends, offering solutions at every turn.

But without action, imagination, like a starship without a warpdrive, remains stagnant. Explorations must cease until adjustments are made – until imagination is employed.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, what happens with individuals that use imagination? These individuals create. Moreover, they solve, they conquer; ultimately, they grow.

These individuals create, create often, and endlessly. Paintings, poetry, dances, prose, solutions and MUCH more, are all created by those limitless and imaginative individual minds that chose to employ this tool.

Imagination is so important that Einstein once said:

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”[Bold Emphasis added]

Nikola Tesla ultimately said this of imagination:

“Our first endeavors are purely instinctive prompting of an imagination vivid and undisciplined. As we grow older reason asserts itself and we become more and more systematic and designing. But those early impulses, though not immediately productive, are of the greatest moment and may shape our very destinies. Indeed, I feel now that had I understood and cultivated instead of suppressing them, I would have added substantial value to my bequest to the world. But not until I had attained manhood did I realize that I was an inventor.”[Bold Emphasis added]

Imagination is there for individuals to use at will. If individuals so choose, it will push them; it will drive them. It will free them from the shackles of normality and help erase the imaginary boundaries [dictated by society] that have been hampering their progress and mental state.

And just like the countless individuals that achieve their dreams even though they were told it would be “impossible”, imagination manifests impossible dreams, because it can.

Imagination will not be stopped,because it cannot be stopped.

Once the box doesn’t exist, the individual is free. Free to experience or create anything they want, solve anything the need, and ruminate upon the wondrous ceaselessly.

Last year, the goal was 50, and 30 wasn’t even achieved. Although really wanted to attempt the same goal again, it’s more prudent/pragmatic to take a more conservative goal in this instance. The other reason for not making this goal too large is that the canvases which will be used this year are 2-3 times larger than last years. That’ll simply mean more time put towards painting, regardless of total goal.

Goal #2: Write and share 50 poems of any type.

This was the goal for last year, but unlike painting, which takes considerable time, this goal will be achieved this year because we will not sacrifice too much personal time for the blog. Failure is not an option.
Goal #3: Write 70 new book reviews for the blog.

Last year’s goal was 50, and it was pretty much crushed by 50%. This year, although there shouldn’t be any personal setbacks or anything, the goal will be 70. It’ll still be considerable work, but it’s increased enough to be a challenge, while not overly so that it feels like a finish line that never ends. Really want to make it higher, but let’s not get overly ambitions.

Goal #4: Ask more questions of individuals, and listen more.

Seems simple, and yet, it’s a goal that will net more benefits. It’s not like me to be overly talkative, but, in order to increase mindfulness, being more mentally engaged on the listening side of a conversation will bring to fruition considerably greater aspects of myself.

Goal #5: Be even more inquisitive than in the past.

This goal is the same as last year, and it was met. However, its important to me to continue to foster my intellectual curiosity in order to grow as an individual and be able to help others. What’s not to like about that goal?
Goal #6: Take more deep breaths.

What!? Yeah, that’s a few friends told me. But really, the reason for this is, again, it helps develop mindfulness, and keep my mind intensely focused, which helps in every other part of life. Plus, it will remind me to meditate more often.

Goal #7: Meet new people from all walks of life, figure out what makes them tick, and why they are the way they are.

Meeting people is a great goal, and it used to be really hard for me due to being shy, but with time its become slightly easier. That said, meeting people is one thing, but figuring out what makes them tick deep down in their core is something significantly different, and something that almost never happens due to so many superficial relationships. That, and it takes time to really get to know people and their drives/passions. Regardless, if am able to engage with 15-20 folks in this manner by the end of the year, am going to be more than happy with this one.

Goal #8: Read 100 books, or 20,000 pages from books – which ever goal comes first between those two.

This goal was succeeded last year thankfully. About 3/4ths of the book read were non-fiction research books of many types, with the rest being fiction of mostly dystopian or horror type. Would love to up this goal, but this goal requires enormous consistency and everything to go right. At least having a goodreads account helps track which books – and how many – were read.

Goal #9: Workout at least 5 hours a week – over 250 hours in the year.

Although the amount of time [hours logged] working out last year was within goal range, not enough ‘days’ were spent doing that. The days worked out by myself would venture into 1 to 2 hours many times, but would only go about 3-4 times a week, rather than 5 consistently. That said, from this year on we’re just going to add hours worked out by each week’s end. If the total hours worked out by the end of the year goes over 250 hours, this will be great. And my goal is to do it either by doing yoga, cardio, lifting weights, etc.

Goal #10: Take a lot more time ruminating before carrying out all decisions in life.

This is definitely the most complex, since it requires constant mindfulness and focus to have a highly more deliberate and incisive thought process. Without a doubt, this goal will probably net arguably the greatest benefits, although it might be the toughest to achieve/implement.

More goals might be added, but for now that seems to run the gamut across most if not all of the core goals that will be striven for in this blog.

What are your goals for this year? Have put them into action? Are you already on your way? Let me know.

Throughout the year, regardless of what takes place within the rollercoaster that is life, please keep in mind this gem that Picasso once intimated:

“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.”

David And Goliath – Underdogs, Misfits, And The Art Of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell does a fair job of giving many excellent examples of what we know as the classic David Vs. Goliath narrative.

The book begins rather strong, analyzing the classic David Vs. Goliath story many are familiar with.

Gladwell does a rather incisive job of showing why it’s likely that David was in fact the favorite in the classic David vs. Goliath fight, once one views the whole ordeal from a big picture, outside-of-the-box mindset. Unfortunately, that’s not how we are taught to think.

Society often equates size with strength, money with power, and authority with knowledge. That type of mentality has proven extremely flawed in countless examples, and some of these are shown and dissected by Gladwell.

In its nascent stages, the book read fairly quickly, showing not only excellent examples of the author’s main thesis, but doing it rather concisely sticking to the main points.

The latter half of the book, although interesting, was vastly more long-winded than it had to be. Would have much preferred additional examples and outside-of-the-box type of analysis.

If Blink was 9 out of 10 scale, then this is a 7 out of a 10 scale. This book by Gladwell is still a great book to read, and more books should be written on this type of analysis.

Its quite intriguing the amount of times that people in underdog situations actually have an advantage [or many] due to the very circumstances that people claim should hinder them. Its way beyond a glass-half-full type thinking.

This is a great book for everyone to read, especially people that go through more struggle than others.

Defeatist attitudes serve individuals no good, and hinder many people more so than they should. This is why this book shines, because it shows that one should just forgo those thoughts and press on.

History is littered with examples of circumstances in which individuals, or groups, pressed on, sometimes even out numbered 10 to 1 – as the book elucidates some examples – regardless of the fact that it seemed that victory was only a dream, and achieved resounding victory. Better yet, in many more times than one would expect, these individuals not only made it through but set monumental examples worthy of admiration.

In a society where more and more people are showcasing defeatists attitudes, and inside-the-box mentality, this book has made some waves, and rightly so.

It has shown what’s possible when the individual, living in his unbounded creative consciousness and imagination, shows what he’s capable of, no matter the ‘odds’.

Let us begin to imagine the power of an endless verse
Or perhaps a canvas of truly breathtaking perfection
The potent nascent breath of a boundless universe
Coupled with the touch of a reverent lover’s affection

Imagine a road that takes you to infinity; everywhere
Or perhaps a door that opens to another dimension
Thence take that path to a beautiful choice elsewhere
Leading to an instant of heavenly blissful ascension

Consider the image of a storm of possible dreams
Where one thought fuses with the core of another
In which that moment binds to endless extremes
Taking this euphoria of possibilities one step further

Think about the instant you hear your perfect song
A true mellifluous tune that soothes you to your core
Where you truly know nothing could ever go wrong
Just like the moment you have with the one you adore

Ponder about the image of a wondrous happy home
Or a person who is your sanctum dispersing calamity
From this blissful moment one will never need roam
For those who stand by your side are true family

Readers of this blog will be familiar with the constant allusion of the left/right paradigm. However, there are quite many folks out there whose eyes glaze over when in conversation about this topic. Let’s shed some light into this abstruse topic shall we?

To simplify, the left-right paradigm is a concept from political sciences and anthropology which proposes that societies have a tendency to divide themselves into ideological opposites.

That’s certainly one way to look at it. Another way would be proposingthe establishment carries out this division on purpose to make it seem like there is only two sides to every debate. Rarely are things ever that simple.

First things first, let’s take a cursory glance at some of the permutations that the left/right paradigm is often bandied about in. Being cognizant of these will make it easier to harpoon onto particular agendas that are taking place within the establishment/media.

This fact is not overlooked by the comptrollers. They realize the individual is the one who truly holds all the power.

In our reverse reality world, there are many reasons why the individual is often thrown under the bus. One oft-parroted one is “for the greater good” which in true translation just means is anything that serves the establishment.

Let’s take a gander at what some of the most incisive minds had to say about the individual:

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
―Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can offer with the cumulative force of a whole life’s cultivation, but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect).”
―Mark Twain

“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.”
―Friedrich Nietzsche

Individuality is a beautiful aspect of life. It truly makes me wonder, what makes people want to mirror others, when they are so unique themselves? Mirroring others in it of itself would limit someone because they’re already putting themselves within a box/system without realizing it.

Its quite fascinating in many ways to see what people will do in the many aspects life takes.

The self-cognizant individual will never be part of the group. They will always be a person within a group, there’s a difference.

In many ways, groups assimilate people and stamp out individuality at every turn. It’s rare to have a collection of individuals, rather than a particular group. A group functions as one collective mind, and limits itself because it operates as just one mind, rather than as many different/unique intellectual engines.

How does this all dovetail with the left/right paradigm?

By realizing when the media/establishment/people are using labels on you, or handpicking your placement within a particular paradigm [whether they know it or not], not only are they assigning labels to you [that’s what a label does], which could be highly detrimental given certain people’s limited point of view, but they also automatically end up serving you up to whatever derivative of the left/right paradigm is most beneficial for them, rather than you.

If it was all about you, you would be seen as a person – an individual.

Why does astroturfing take place? Because the establishment/comptrollers knows the power of the individual. If there were no power from the grassroots individual level, it wouldn’t be co-opted, downplayed, eviscerated, and ameliorated at every turn.

And again, those institutions/corporations engaging in such activities are attempting to orchestrate a reality by controlling the left/right paradigm themselves. In this case, that manipulation is very subtle.

One can play the part within the grand chessboard, or one can opt-out of the game and breakaway.